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Posted: **Sun Jul 27, 2008 12:36 pm**

For those making the trip to Houston. Rice has taken out all of the endzone bleachers, and tarped it, reducing the capacity by 15,000 or so.

http://ncaabbs.com/showthread.php?tid=307021 ,

Posted: **Sun Jul 27, 2008 1:26 pm**

New tarp replacing the old one-actually wasn't at least one of those endzones already tarped

Posted: **Sun Jul 27, 2008 1:28 pm**

Looks decent. Even though thats an old stadium, its nice that it is right on campus with plenty of parking around it. I like their campus and always enjoy seeing games down there.

Posted: **Sun Jul 27, 2008 2:04 pm**

Looks like they just added the tarp to the other end zone.

Lookin good.

Posted: **Sun Jul 27, 2008 2:19 pm**

Rice Stadium

One of America's great stadiums and the largest on-campus facility in Conference-USA, Rice Stadium will celebrate its 58th season in 2008 with an updated playing surface and a home opener vs. SMU in front of a national television audience on ESPN.

The new FieldTurf Duraspine system was installed in February of 2008 and is identical to the surfaces at Ohio State, West Virginia, as well as the home of the New England Patriots. The new field also sports updated logos and the Rice "R" at midfield.

Thanks to donations of more than $6 million that were raised in the spring of 2006, Rice Stadium stepped to the head of the class with a number of improvements for both players and fans alike. The old carpet-style synthetic playing surface was removed and replaced with Field Turf, a system that combines the best elements of traditional natural grass fields with the benefits of a synthetic surface. For the players, it means a surface that eliminates the concerns over turf burns and hard landings on thin pads laid over a concrete base. For Owl fans, it means their team plays on a lush, green surface that also can withstand the challenges of weather. The 18-inch crown on the field, needed for drainage with the old turf system, was flattened out as part of the installation the drainage and support layers for the new surface.

An entirely new scoreboard complex was constructed above the north end zone, allowing Owl fans the latest offerings of in-game entertainment and information along with video highlights and features. The new Daktronics scoreboard towers more than 60 feet above the north concourse and will complement the distinctive brickwork around the Stadium and across the Rice campus. The video screen measures 20-feet high by 35-feet wide, and a four-color message-board component will be 6-feet by 35-feet.

Fans can take in all these improvements while sitting on new aluminum bleachers which have seating for 47,000 fans. The end zone seating was removed and the area covered with blue tarps, but the capability remains to expand the seating to its original 70,000 configuration.

The dramatic improvements to Houston's longest-running home for college football are just the latest in a series of innovations and upgrades over recent years. The John L. Cox Fitness Center, an 8,000-square-foot strength and conditioning complex, used by all Rice athletes as well as the general student body, opened in early 1996. It is one of the premier college facilities in the nation. That same year, Rice players were afforded the comfort of a major locker room renovation. In addition, sports medicine and equipment areas were refurbished.

Posted: **Sun Jul 27, 2008 2:21 pm**

I read where they took the turf from the old north endzone, and put it in the tunnel, from the locker room to the field.

Posted: **Sun Jul 27, 2008 3:53 pm**

bagice wrote:Looks decent. Even though thats an old stadium, its nice that it is right on campus with plenty of parking around it. I like their campus and always enjoy seeing games down there.

Agreed - nice campus and adequate stadium...the parking is definitely nice.

I have no hate for Rice or their fans (I pull for their baseball team since we don't have one), but I definitely want to beat the hell out of them to get this thing started right :twisted:

Posted: **Sun Jul 27, 2008 10:54 pm**

They took out the endzone seats a few years ago. Not sure exactly when, but I can personally attest that they were already gone back in 2006 when I was there for a game I'd like to forget.

Posted: **Mon Jul 28, 2008 12:12 am**

03Mustang wrote:
bagice wrote:Looks decent. Even though thats an old stadium, its nice that it is right on campus with plenty of parking around it. I like their campus and always enjoy seeing games down there.

Agreed - nice campus and adequate stadium...the parking is definitely nice.

I have no hate for Rice or their fans (I pull for their baseball team since we don't have one), but I definitely want to beat the hell out of them to get this thing started right

well said!

Posted: **Mon Jul 28, 2008 1:03 am**

Big Hoss wrote:They took out the endzone seats a few years ago. Not sure exactly when, but I can personally attest that they were already gone back in 2006 when I was there for a game I'd like to forget.

I am pretty sure that they had endzone seats at the end with the windows and the scoreboard in 2006 when we were at that game.. I remember it well, cuz thats the endzone we could never get a TD with 1st and goal from the one.

Now they have Rice Tarps in both endzones, instead of the one like 2 years ago.

Posted: **Mon Jul 28, 2008 7:58 am**

Great stadium to watch football. Feels very close to the field to me for some reason.

Posted: **Mon Jul 28, 2008 8:49 am**

before Air Messiah June Jones arrived we coulda tarped
off 70% of our stadium after the first half of most games!